Personality test for tenants

There's so much more to being a good tenant than just being able to afford rent!

Personality helps you screen for all the behaviors that cost you money, time, headaches.

Here's what the candidate sees:

Short online survey

Completed by a candidate

Can be taken on a phone or tablet

Fast & accurate

What's to stop people from lying?

The survey includes a lie detector scale.

How does the lie detector work?

Unlikely virtues. When a person is trying to give what they think are the “right” answers, they will claim virtues that are only true of a small percentage of people. Examples include “I never feel sad,” or “I have never littered.” A person is flagged for claiming too many unlikely virtues.

How long does it take?

You decide! Do you want a short survey covering just the essentials, or a longer survey that is more comprehensive? Three versions are available:

8 minute version

Measures the 9 most important behaviors not covered by credit checks.

Respects property

Reports problems needing attention

Risk for hoarding

Honesty

Keeps expectation reasonable

Respects need for permission

State of unit upon vacating

Accepts eviction

Candid responses to survey

13 minute version

Also includes rent payment and housekeeping behaviors. Measures everything in the 8 minute version, plus:

Makes paying a priority

Punctuality with payments

Takes responsibility for damages

Keeps unit clean

Goes above and beyond

18 minute version

Measures all 22 behaviors that landlords care about. Includes everything in the 8 and 13 minute versions, plus:

Can I embed the survey on my own website?

Yes. We have a RESTful API that makes it easy for companies to integrate the Honest Renter Survey into their own websites and services. Typical clients of the API include larger property management firms, tenant screening companies, and property management software companies.

If two people are moving in together, does each person have to take it?

It’s probably a good idea to screen both people. If one person moves out, you might get stuck with the other.

What does the law say about personality tests?

When you have a personality conflict with someone, you don’t have to rent to them. In fact, personality should help comply with laws because it helps avoid discrimination on the basis of protected grounds.

Can you use it for commercial properties?

No. It was specifically designed and validated for residential tenancy situations.

Can you make one to screen landlords?

It would take a couple years of research.

When should I administer the survey?

It’s a matter of personal preference. Some customers use it as a pre-screen, only meeting with the candidates who are worth their time. Others would rather meet with the candidate first before deciding whether to invest in additional screening on that person.

Should I still run a credit report?

Yes. Credit reports & personality surveys compliment each other by drawing on different sources of evidence to help you make and informed decision. We recommend a multiple hurdle approach: run credit reports on people who pass the personality survey. That way acceptance decisions are based on both personality and credit information. At the same time, net costs go down by avoiding unncecessary credit checks.

How well does it work?

We recently validated it with 300 current tenants in 2 North American cities. Participants completed the Honest Renter Survey then anonymously reported their behaviors.

The following results compare people who scored high to people who scored low (i.e., top vs. bottom quartile on the relevant scale). High scorers were:

Payments: Over 5x less likely to have been contacted about past-due rent